New website under way

I wanted to come up for air for a second and thank Andy and Paul for their inspiration. Every year I come to my renewal month with GoDaddy for my website just when I’m gearing up for my biggest fair of the year. Do I dare take down my site and have no business cards to distribute-heavens no! Well within the past several months both Andy and Paul were working on their websites and I realized NOW is the time to get that done. The new website is in the works and will be ready in a few weeks. Here’s the sweetest part of that: I finally had the time to address my photos to really show off my work. As much as I love my photographer, he doesn’t use PhotoShop and my photos were always a little disappointing. I found a site, Fotodesigners.com, where I could clean up the background on my photos for $14 each. I think that’s a steal. They look fantastic. As soon as the site is up and running, I’ll ask for your opinions. In the meantime, I just wanted to say THANK YOU.

-- cathyb, Hawaii, www.cathyswoodworking.com

6 replies so far

Looking forward to seeing your great pieces showcased for the world to admire Cathy. Are you doing it yourself or having it prepared for you?(Mine seriously needs work and updating but I can’t access it until I return home in April and then it won’t be a priority for a while.)

-- Paul M ..............If God wanted us to have fiberglass boats he would have given us fiberglass trees. http://prmdesigns.com/

I liked your original Kathy so can’t wait to see what you come up with your new site!!I just “love” your work !I am “trying” to work on my own website but “time” ins getting in my way…... soon I hope !

Hi Paul. I am paying someone to do it. There is no question that I’m good at some things, but computer skills is not one of them. So far the process has been fairly stress free. When I get a free minute, I think about how I might change my old website. Here’s my question for my fellow LJ’s and especially you, Paul. There are certain elements that must be considered. In the first place, I don’t want an e-commerce site. My pieces are one-of-a-kind and I refuse to reproduce anything, other than the rocking chairs. Then there’s the issue of exactly why I need the website in the first place. I always thought that it was a good vehicle as a gallery to show the scope of my work for potential commissions. That would be great if it weren’t for the fact that I keep following a creative path that puts quite a distance between what I have done and what I am doing. More specifically, do I show some of my favorite carved pieces? I love that work and I am really proud of the pieces I made, but I wouldn’t do that again for any amount of money. In an interview once, I told a reporter that once I carved a perfect horse, I would never carved horses again. It was a prophetic statement. In my heart I was sad to hear those words come out of my mouth and yet acknowledged in my mind that it was true. I look at some things that I’ve made with a sense of awe. Because I work in the moment, I have no idea how I got there and couldn’t do it again if I tried. You know what I mean….... Maybe the website is more a visual journey that I made with my love of wood. In addition it’s a testimony of my determination to prove to all the people who doubted that I belonged in this field that I would stand my ground and show them that I’m pretty good for a rookie with no training.Yeah, I guess that’s the point of view that I’ll use in the site. Good to hear from you.

As they say Cathy, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I can imagine that your website will be a great place for you to showcase your considerable talent. I don’t see a problem with showing a full range of your past and present work to highlight your creativity and skills. Maybe some diversity will open some doors you didn’t expect. I look forward to seeing it when it is finished.

Only too well Cathy. I build what I fancy at the moment and seldom go back to repeat something I’ve already done…. no challenge. I’ve built ocean going yachts and little marquetry boxes and who knows what next? Certainly not me.

That said, I think that for people like you and me that a website is more about us than about individual items we may have created. What we’re selling, if we’re actually selling at all, is our creativity and we’re offering a prospective client an opportunity to participate in it and to then own something truly unique.

You’re no untrained rookie Cathy and you certainly belong. If “training” means school and apprenticeships, we’re in the same boat (pun intended) because I don’t have any either.

Your site will be great.

-- Paul M ..............If God wanted us to have fiberglass boats he would have given us fiberglass trees. http://prmdesigns.com/

Thanks guys. I appreciate your support. I hope the website will embolden people to believe in themselves. It’s been a great journey for me and certainly one of the triumphs in my life. There is no greater gift than to love your work. I am where I was always supposed to be and that is precious. Have a great day…......